


Sunday Mornin'

by Atchamb7



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Ben is a marine, Dogs, F/M, Fluffy, Kylo is a german shepherd, Reylo - Freeform, short wip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-09 19:11:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16455680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atchamb7/pseuds/Atchamb7
Summary: Rey was a child of the sun. Though her parents only bestowed her one gift ever in her life, it couldn’t be more perfect or fitting of their abandoned daughter: Rey, as in of sunshine or of light. Therefore it was only fitting she surrounded herself with beautiful flowers that bloomed from the sunshine and love she provided.Her regulars saw her as this happy, bright and toothy-smiled girl, utterly content with the life she lived as a coffee/flower shop owner.But Rey didn’t know true happiness until Kylo wandered into her shop one day. While Rey was a true dog lover, the all black German Shepherd was not the creature that caught her eye, but his owner that burst through her shop when he noticed his canine companion was missing.The retired marine was taken immediately by the shop owner. So much in fact that he made sure to pass by her shop everyday with Kylo after their first encounter. It was fair to say, Rey had an admirer that she was growing quite fond of as well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration struck at 2am! Thanks so much to my beta, Ria, for turning this around so quickly!

 

* * *

 

The morning rush calmed and Rey finally found a moment to break away from behind the counter to check on Rose. Her friend had started working in the flower shop shortly after Rey got hired and they had been best friends ever since. Rey had run the combo shop for two years after buying it from Maz Kanata (practically her adopted mother) when she was ready to retire. 

 

Rey crossed the open archway that separated the flower shop from the coffee shop. Many thought it was an odd concept to have a combo coffee and flower shop, but it worked for them and the locals seemed to be big fans of it. 

 

Sunday’s were a good day for them, and this one was no different. The shop was inviting with the doors propped open, a gentle breeze floating through and carrying the crisp autumn morning in from outside. 

 

Rey sipped on her pumpkin spice latte as Rose finished ringing up a customer. 

 

‘ _Poor Ackbar’_ Rey thought. The old man had just lost his wife of 47 years. The two were a legendary couple around town. Mon was the sweetest lady who would bake fresh cookies and walk around to the local businesses on Sunday passing them out. It surprised most that Ackbar and her met while in the Navy together. 

 

Rey smiled at the dear old man as he tipped his hat and bid the ladies adieu. Poe and Finn passed Ackbar and acknowledged him kindly before entering the store. Finn planted a kiss on Rose’s cheek before handing over her a paper takeout bag, most likely filled with a quesadilla from Mos Eisley’s. 

 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Rose said enthusiastically as she kissed her boyfriend soundly on the mouth. Rey smiled at the couple as Rose wrapped her arms around Finn’s neck. 

 

“Get a room,” Poe mumbled.

 

The smile wiped off Rey’s face with Poe’s comment. She took the coffee rag off her shoulder and smacked Poe across the arm, frustrated with Finn’s best friend for ruining a sweet moment between the couple. 

 

“Hey!” Poe grabbed his arm acting as if the move offended him, “so, Rey when are you going to come out with us again?” Poe asked eagerly, unaware of Rey’s true distaste for the bar scene that Poe always tried to drag her to. It would be one thing if it was just them hanging out and having a few drinks, but no, Poe always had to make a show of it and try to hook Rey up with random bar guys, giving her grief about leaving the single life behind. 

 

Rey groaned, “Poe, when are you going to get it through your thick skull? I am not interested in hooking up with random bar guys.”

 

Poe rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath about Rey being stubborn. Truly, Poe didn’t have a clue,  _ obviously,  _ but neither did many other people in the town. Though Rey loved her life in the shop, she always felt like something was missing. 

 

It may have had something to do with the parents who abandoned her, leaving her with one gift for the abandonment - her name. 

 

Her name spoke wonders to her character: Rey. She truly was a ray of light, a ray of sunshine through the busy streets of Coruscant. Rey was a child of the sun, and she proved it by surrounding herself with beautiful flowers that bloomed from the sunshine and love that she provided. 

 

Her customers saw a happy, bright and toothy-smiled girl, utterly content with the life she lived as a shop owner, but still she felt like there was an emptiness from something missing in her life.  

 

She shook herself of the feeling just long enough for Finn and Poe to wave goodbye making their way to leave and head off to whatever boy plans that they had for the day. Just as they left, Rey heard a bark come from the door. She looked toward it and found an all black german shepherd sitting in the doorway to the flower shop. Rey marveled at the gorgeous animal; his dark black fur working wonderfully to bring out the color in the flowers surrounding him. 

 

“Well hello, and where did you come from my friend?” Rey asked the shepherd, unable to keep herself from using  _ that voice _ . 

 

She looked up to see a tall man running across the street toward her, “Kylo! Kylo!” He yelled, Rey glancing down at the dog’s tag to see the same name marked on a military-grade dog tag that hung from his collar. 

 

“Hi, I am so sorry ma’am, this is my dog. He’s a trained service animal, I am very sorry he was behaving this way.”

 

Rey just looked at the stranger. His wavy locks fell to his jawline and appeared to be perfectly coiffed. Rey found herself wondering if it was as soft as it appeared, but she held her hand back from reaching forward and making a fool out of herself. The tall stranger’s eyes looked down on her with deep brown pools that melted into her golden hazel eyes. 

 

Rey shook her head, “no, no, he was a true gentleman,” she said, speaking of Kylo, “he must’ve just smelled the flowers, or the baked goods in the coffee shop! Really, he was no problem at all!”

 

Rey couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face as she continued to rub Kylo behind his ears and around his neck. 

 

“Well, thank you for your understanding, umm…” the stranger hesitated, waiting for Rey to fill in the gap where her name belonged.

 

‘Oh! Rey,” She said as she stuck her hand out to shake his politely. 

 

“Ben” he reciprocated, taking her hand in his and feeling an odd energy surge through him. He looked at her surprised of the sensation the had shared before dropping her hand and placing Kylo’s lead back around his collar. 

 

Ben turned to walk out of the shop just as Rey and Rose shared a knowing look, Rose urging Rey to pursue the handsome man in front of her before he slipped away.

 

“Um...uh, Ben?!” Rey nearly shouted, muttering a quick ‘fuck’ under her breath as her cheeks heated with a shade of crimson blush. 

 

Ben turned and looked at Rey expectantly, curious what she’d say next.

 

“Would you like a cup of coffee? It’s my first time seeing you around, and I’d love to give you this as a welcome. Are you new in town?” Rey asked quickly, her nerves clearly getting the best of her.

 

Ben gave a small smile with a look of mischief in his eye, “well I guess we’ll have to talk about that over coffee, now won’t we?”

 

***

 

As it turned out, Ben wasn’t new to town, per se. He was just returning home from being stationed in Hawaii following a tour of duty with the marine corps. Kylo was actually his partner, in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and while being stationed in Hawaii as well. Both were now retired and honorably discharged, Ben was returning home and “here to stay.”

 

Rey remembered those final words very well. How could she not? Ben, this broodingly tall, dark, and handsome man was now staying in town for good. Her mouth had already gone dry just looking at his muscles through his shirt, his broad chest, his sculpted shoulders, and toned biceps.

 

Plus, he was kind and considerate and respectful. He didn’t just look at her mouth when she spoke, he looked into her eyes -  _ and glanced at her mouth every once in a while -  _ Rey thought with a smirk. 

 

They continued to speak for about an hour before Ben got a call that pulled him away from Rey. Her heart sank when we said he had to go. Even Kylo looked like he didn’t want to be pulled away from their new friend. His head had been resting on her foot throughout her and Ben’s conversation and she already felt very connected to his partner as well. 

 

“Well Rey, I hope to see you again soon. I apologize we have to cut it short like this.”

 

Rey gave a small smile then looked down in an attempt to hide the blush warming her cheeks. All Ben had to do was look at her and she was reduced to a blushing mess. 

 

Ben grabbed her chin between his thumb and index finger, bringing her eyes up to meet his gaze. 

 

“Don’t be afraid, I feel it too.”

 

*** 

 

Rey went a week without seeing Ben. She wondered if things had fizzled out between them. He had said he felt it too just before the parted last time she saw him.

 

‘ _ That must mean something’  _ She thought to herself. 

 

She was wiping a table off in the coffee shop when he strolled by. Her eyes met his and he seemed to brighten in that moment. 

 

She got his phone number on that Sunday morning.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey share some big first's as a couple!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my sub beta, Robyn, for stepping in while Ria is on her HONEYMOON!!!

* * *

 

Sunday had quickly become Rey’s favorite day, and Rose had no issue calling attention to it one Sunday during a break from the morning rush. 

 

“So when’s he coming by?” Rose asked casually.

 

“Who?” Rey asked with a puzzled look on her face as she wiped down the coffee bar, trying to busy herself and not look toward the window too frequently. 

 

“Oh please,” Rose chuckled with an eye roll, “you very well know who! They same guy you text all week and casually see every Sunday! This may be one of the slowest progressing relationships because it takes a week to get any progress, and that’s coming from a girl who had to initiate her first kiss with her current boyfriend because he was so clueless!”

 

Rey just smiled at her best friend. Yes, this was an ongoing flirtation that she had going, but she was enjoying it. She didn’t have to worry about what it was, or  _ if  _ he’d call because she knew that every Sunday she’d see the same good looking man with his canine companion. And she had so little worry because he’d told her that every Sunday he took Kylo to the local park that passed the shop on the way, and he proved to her that he would stop by, which he had for the last few Sundays. 

 

Just as Rey started to fire a witty comeback, she heard a bark coming from the street. Kylo was bouncing so much in his heal position, he damn near broke his training when he attempted to jump toward her, but caught himself before laying a paw on her. 

 

Rey flashed a toothy grin as Ben corrected Kylo, “you know better than to treat the lady like that,” he looked up at Rey and smiled.

 

“Good morning, Rey.” 

 

“Hi,” she said quietly, trying to keep the blush from spreading over her cheeks under his gaze. 

 

Rose cleared her throat, catching Rey’s attention. As she turned to face her, her friend stood there holding two to-go coffees out and a large dog biscuit. 

 

“I got it here, go have fun,” Rose said with a wink. 

 

Rey mouthed ‘thank you’ and turned to face Ben and Kylo. 

 

“Care for some company?” Rey asked Ben with a shining smile on her face as she handed over his daily coffee. 

 

“Love some!” He exclaimed, making Rey’s smile grow brighter, if that was even possible.

 

Kylo whined as he rested his head on Rey’s thigh, looking up at her with those big puppy dog eyes.

 

“Aw, and this is for being such a good boy,” Rey said in  _ that  _ voice. She waved goodbye to Rose and they headed off for the park. 

 

*** 

 

The park was beautiful this time of year. The leaves were changing color, there was a crispness in the air and everyone was embracing the cooling temperatures. 

 

Rey and Ben walked down the path as Kylo walked on Ben’s heal between them, their hands entwined above him. Something about this felt so domestic, like Rey had her own little family. It was a surreal feeling, one she had never known and never thought she would. 

 

They got closer to the spot that Ben would let Kylo off his lead, and Kylo was getting antsy. As they turned the corner for the clearing, Kylo darted out and made a circle around them, locking Rey and Ben’s knees together, forcing them to hold onto one another so they wouldn’t fall over. Luckily, Ben was a tree and couldn’t be taken down easily. They laughed as they attempted to stay upright, catching each other’s eyes in the process. 

 

Ben looked into Rey’s hazel eyes and couldn’t help but watch how the gold flecks danced amongst the morning sun. Rey’s breathing hitched as the air between them suddenly got thick. Ben’s hands cradled Rey’s face as she looked up to him and he bent his head down to hers. Her eyes closed as his plush lips met hers. 

 

Rey’s arms wrapped around Ben’s neck as she pulled him closer, opening her mouth to him to deepen the kiss. His tongue was warm and she could taste his hazelnut coffee, bringing her to giggle.

 

He looked down at her quizzically as she giggled against his lips, “you taste like hazelnut,” she smiled.

 

“And you taste like caramel,” he whispered back to her, “it’s a nice combination.”

 

“ _ We’re _ a nice combination,” Rey corrected him, bringing a smile to his face before he leaned down and kissed her again. 

 

They sat down on the bench after getting untangled and let Kylo off his leash, continuing to steal kisses and lean into one another. They drew little attention to themselves, but one older couple did approach them, speaking in an English accent much like Rey, “you two are a lovely couple,” before walking off with their two dalmatians. She smiled at Ben before kissing him again.

 

Rey did not return to the coffee shop that day, instead she went back to Ben’s place.

 

***

 

Rey’s eyes strained as the light came in from the window. Blinking a few times, she recalled where she was and smiled while she stretched out on a large king-size bed; however, she was disappointed that there seemed to be an empty spot next to her. She turned over and saw a tray laying next to her with flowers, a cup of coffee, and a note. 

 

‘Rey, sorry to leave you to wake up with an empty bed, but I needed to take Kylo to the park. I know you’ll understand and I’ll be back soon. 

-Ben’

 

Rey smiled at the note and took a sip of the coffee he had made her with its bittersweet notes and rich caramel taste, ‘ _ well done’  _ Rey thought.

 

As if on cue, Rey heard the door open and shut, followed by the sound of nails on the hardwood floors leading to the bedroom. Kylo made his way to her and pounced on top of Rey covering her in sloppy kisses.

 

“All right down, down boy,” Ben corrected Kylo as he came into the room. 

 

Rey was suddenly very aware that she not only was naked, but had terrible morning breath and bedhead. Undoubtedly, what Ben had to be noticing right now as he stared at her from the doorway. 

 

“Oh gosh, please don’t look at me like that in the morning! My bedhead is uncontrollable.” Rey laughed as she buried her face in the covers.

 

She heard footsteps coming over toward her and a weight sitting down on the bed. He pulled the covers back and tucked the hair in her face behind her ear.

 

“Your bedhead is absolutely uncontrolled,” he smiled as he teased her, “but you’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

 

Rey pulled him down to kiss her, suddenly feeling the same wave of passion she’d felt the night prior. Ben broke the kiss and started working his way across her jaw, sucking bruises on her pulse point, and enticing small moans to come out of Rey that were music to his ears. 

 

Rey gathered her mind just long enough to form a coherent sentence, “What would you think about a shower?” 

 

Ben separated from her collarbone with a pop and looked up at her, “As long as we can save water and shower together, sounds great.” 

 

***

 

Rey’s phone pinged next to her as she pulled on one of Ben’s clean shirts. Maz had gotten back to her after Rey sent her a text asking if she could look after the shop today and give Rose a hand. Tally and Jessika were already running the coffee bar so Rey just needed an extra set of eyes to help out Rose while Rey played hooky.  

 

The day was pretty much filled with lounging about, watching Netflix, and continuing to learn about each others’ bodies. It wasn’t till about four o’clock that Rey realized she had neglected her stomach and could no longer go without food. 

 

“Someone’s hungry,” Ben said as he heard and  _ felt  _ her stomach growl from under his embrace. 

 

“I don’t think I’ve gone so long without eating, at least in my  _ adult  _ life.” 

 

Ben was aware of Rey’s hardships as a child. Parents that were drunks and dead somewhere out in the Jakku desert of Arizona, being forced to live a life with a horrible foster father, and moving out the day of her 18th birthday with the money she had earned and locked away from years of working while getting her education. 

 

He kissed her temple before releasing her and allowing her to go grab food for dinner. Bacon grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup was on the menu, ‘ _ She may eat more, but she still has the appetite of a ten-year-old’  _ Ben thought while smiling at his girl. 

 

Rey looked over her shoulder and saw Ben looking intently at her.

 

“What?” Rey asked with an inquisitive look on her face, as she pulled the grilled cheeses off the burner and slid them onto a plate. 

 

“I love you.”

 

Rey gasped, hesitating for a moment before she stepped forward and closed the space between them, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. After a moment, she finally looked up, “I love you too.”

 

Ben closed the gap between their mouths and pulled Rey in for a passionate kiss. She loved him.  _ She loved him.  _ Rey wrapped her legs around his hips and Ben grabbed at her butt and hoisted her onto the kitchen counter, standing between her legs as their tongues danced across one another and their hips seeked a much necessary friction. 

 

Just as Ben and Rey were about to abandon their dinner for the bedroom, Kylo came up and started nosing at Ben’s knees for attention. Ben looked down at the black german shepherd and pat his head.

 

“Yes buddy, we love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment or find me on tumblr! atchamberlin@tumblr


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Robyn for beta'ing this chapter!

Christmas had never been a big deal to Rey. Why should it when you have no family and no friends to spend it with growing up? At least that was until Rose and Maz became part of Rey’s family. They had started a tradition of decorating the shop, and every Christmas Eve Eve, they would open presents, drink hot chocolate and peppermint mochas, and watch old Christmas movies on a hideaway screen Maz had installed in the shop for promotional movie nights. 

This year started out no different. Rey opened the shop an hour early for holiday shoppers and was hard at work creating peppermint mochas and pumpkin spice lattes and conversing with her customers, regulars and seasonal, about their holiday plans. Everything was going as expected, that is, until she saw Ben crossing the street with Kylo and a shivering puppy covered in mud. 

***

Rey and Ben had been dating for almost three months, his routine continued as he saw her every Sunday, and maybe a few days extra now that they started spending the night with each other, taking turns from one apartment to the other; Ben’s more often due to the significant size difference. 

It was on his walk with Ben, from the apartment to the coffee shop, that he heard a whimpering coming from an alley. Kylo’s ears perked at attention, Ben’s human ears washing out the noise with the busy city street. 

Ben didn’t understand why Kylo was pulling him into an alleyway, but soon saw the watered down box sitting there after a night of rain. Ben approached the box and found a puppy sitting, shivering, and covered in mud.

“Oh my god, hi baby.” Ben mumbled as he reached out his hand, earning the puppy’s trust. She was clearly a shepherd of some kind, like Kylo, but it was hard to say what kind when he couldn’t see her features under the mud and street grime covering her from head to toe. 

Once the puppy nuzzled into Ben’s hand, he unhooked Kylo’s leash and used the opposite end to loop around the puppy’s neck, making a makeshift collar. Kylo stayed by his side as he walked the puppy out of the alley way before picking her up to cross the street and head over to Rey’s.

***  
Rey quickly finished with her customer before meeting the boys at the door.

“Who is this?” She asked, reaching out toward the puppy to scratch her behind the ears. 

“I found this wittle thing in the alley near my apartment. I need to take her to the vet, see if she belongs to anyone.”

“Well hold on, let me get my coat.”

 

For some reason this threw Ben off guard. He didn’t expect Rey to join him, but it made him smile.

The vet was about 15 minutes away from the coffee shop, Rey offered her car to drive so Ben wouldn’t have to go back home; however, the puppy had gotten very comfortable in Rey’s arms and she didn’t want to disturb the poor thing, so Ben drove. The drive was comforting, Ben kept glancing at Rey, unable to keep his eyes off of the girl and the puppy, wondering what she would be like as a mother. 

Where did that come from?

When they got to the vet, strays were seen rather quickly; never knowing the condition that they may be in from life on the streets. Dr. Kaydel Connix, an old classmate of Ben’s, was actually the vet that ran the shelter and animal hospital. She had started the rescue along with help from the local senator, Ben’s mom, and became the animal whisperer of Coruscant. 

“Well, looks like she checks out,” Connix confirmed with Rey and Ben, “she doesn’t have a chip and no one has reported a lost german shepherd puppy over the last 72 hours. I suspect she was an early gift for the holidays and the family abandoned her when they saw how fast she was growing.”

Ben’s stomach flipped at the idea of abandoning an animal like that, as if they didn’t matter, just leaving them to die. He could never imagine leaving Kylo, he was his best friend, his partner. 

“Well, then that’s settled,” Rey said firmly, “I’ll take her.”

Ben and Connix looked at Rey, surprised by the quick decision.

Ben grabbed Rey’s hands in his, “baby, I know that this is sudden and her situation isn’t the best, but you don’t have to make this decision right now.” 

Rey looked down at her hands embraced in just one of Ben’s large hands, he didn’t want her to rush into a decision that could very easily change her life. She had the shop which was her pride and joy, but he didn’t have any idea the hole he filled when he entered her life. He gave her love and made her want more for her future. She wanted a family with him, one that could maybe be more than just them and two dogs, maybe one that could include… a baby.

Rey knew this was a stepping stone that she needed to make. She looked up at Ben and smiled, “I know, but I’ve been looking into getting a dog for a while now, and I wasn’t sure of the timing with the shop before, but now, I think it’s perfect and I think it’s about time I actually start living my life outside my job. 

Ben kissed her soundly on the lips. This woman amazed him. Suddenly, they heard the exam room door open followed by a bark. Rey looked and was shocked to see a white german shepherd puppy bouncing toward her. 

She looked at Ben with such excitement in her eyes, like a child on Christmas.

“Oh my gosh, I love her even more now!” She said with a squeal as she hugged at the puppy and picked her up to take her back to the car. 

***

“So what are you going to name your new dog?” Ben inquired as he and Rey plopped down on Rey’s couch after returning home from the vet.

They had stopped by the shop and let Rose meet the new member of Rey’s family, the puppy looking so vibrant amongst all the colorful flowers surrounding her. 

“What are you talking about?” Rey asked with a furrowed brow, “she’s not my dog… she’s our dog. You are her rescuer and I am her adopter, we are her family,” Rey paused and let that sink in to Ben, “but I actually did have a name in mind. What about Kira?” 

“I love it,” Ben said before leaning in to Rey, brushing his lips softly against hers in a chaste kiss, “but I think you and Kira are going to need a bigger place, your little apartment isn’t really the best living space for a dog owner.”

“Ha. Ha.” Rey said sarcastically as she took in his words, “you know my place is just a place to sleep basically. Between being with you and the shop, it’d almost be silly to invest in a new place, Kira could just be like Kylo and we can train her to behave out in public and train her like a service animal.”

“Or…” Ben drew out the word, contemplating his words in his head before unleashing them into the world, “you could move in with me. I mean if we are Kira’s family don’t you think we should live together?”

Rey looked at Ben with a stunned look in her eyes. He didn’t hold any regret in his gaze, like he truly meant what he said.

“Rey, I love you. I’ve wanted to be with you, hell live with you, since the moment I met you. You are it for me.”

Rey exhaled the breath she didn’t realize she was holding before jumping to his side of the couch on top of him. She gripped the sides of his face and crashed her lips into his excitedly, nearly knocking the wind out of both of them. She couldn’t contain the giggles that were coming from her bright and toothy smile. If it was possible, she’d become vibrant in that moment, relieving Ben of the thought that he’d scare her off with his “proposal”. 

“Then let’s do it, let’s move in together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment please and find me on tumblr!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Rose go to the spa and then Rey goes back to the shop for a surprise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness! Much thanks to my beta, Robyn, for the amazing moodboard this week! She’s so fabulous and it's absolutely gorgeous!

* * *

 

“Come on Rey! It’ll be so fun!” Rose pleaded as she attempted to drag Rey from the shop shortly after opening on Sunday morning. “We’ve been working so hard lately! We need to get away and have a spa day covered in mud and detoxing the toxic work-related stress from our bodies.”

 

As unappealing as the mud part sounded, Rey had to admit that she’d been craving a hooky day from the shop for a while. Ever since the holidays had ended she’d been pleading for a slow week, but it never presented itself, leaving her with stiff muscles, a tight neck, and a very sore back. She felt like she was 24 going on 50. 

 

Through all the stress though, Ben and her puppies stayed by her side in support. Ben had become accustomed to greeting her when she came home with a cup of tea as she plopped down on the couch. He’d even taken to spoiling her with foot rubs and massages when she’d get home, which would often lead to other stress-relieving _ activities _ , that is  _ if  _ Rey was able to keep her eyes open to make it to said activities. She had fallen asleep on Ben once or twice and felt so bad for it, though he’d never blame her. 

 

Rose broke her down and Rey agreed, “okay let’s do it,” she said enthusiastically with a giggle.

 

As the girls walked into the spa they were swept into paradise. Rose had done perfectly with picking the place. They were surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows that faced waterfalls, steam rooms and outdoor, shaded mud baths and artificial hot springs. The place was the description of serene. Rey was surrounded by all things tranquil in nature and she was in  _ heaven.  _

 

As the walked up to the front desk, a raspy feminine voice greeted them from the side of the lobby. 

 

“Leia!” Rey exclaimed as she greeted her boyfriend’s lovely mother who she had the pleasure of meeting on Christmas Day, as well as his father and his tall and flirtatious uncles. 

 

“Did you have something to do with this?” she asked Leia skeptically, looking at her knowingly. Leia had figured out at Christmas that Rey was not one to accept gifts well. 

 

“Of course I did, sweetheart! You’re practically family and family takes care of one another,” Leia said as she cupped Rey’s cheek with a maternal warmth radiating upon the situation, “now come on, let’s get pampered!”

 

The girls followed after the receptionist leading the way.

 

*** 

 

The pampering was simply divine. Rey’s muscles were loosened, her neck and back properly cracked and massaged. She couldn’t remember a time she had felt so at ease, physically. Sure, Ben had made her feel giddy and loved from day one, but the building tension in her body had always been there - the fun of being a fulltime business owner. 

 

Rey was sitting in the bubbling hot springs as she heard Leia and Rose walking over to join her, they were talking in hushed tones, as if they didn’t want Rey to hear the end of their conversation.  _ ‘What are they whispering about’  _ Rey thought. She swatted that thought away like a pesky fly buzzing around her head. This was a relaxing day. Nothing would ruin that. 

 

“Well don’t you look comfy,” Rose commented on Rey’s slouchy form.

 

“Best idea ever,” Rey mumbled to Rose, continuing to allow her tension to ease and fingers to prune.

 

Rey slipped the cucumber off her eye and into her mouth.

 

“So, I’m thinking shopping next,” Rey heard Leia say, followed by a squeal from Rose. 

 

“Oh please, Rey! Can we? I know you’re not the biggest fan, but you did say you were in need of more lingerie and some cuter clothes for your date nights. 

 

Rey turned bright crimson to the tips of her ears at the mention of lingerie in front of her boyfriend’s mother. It’s not like they weren’t adults, Ben was 10 years older than her for God’s Sake, but still the idea of mentioning lingerie to your potential future mother-in-law was horrifically embarrassing in Rey’s book.  _ ‘I’ll just go ahead and drown right here.’  _ Rey thought as she glanced at Leia. 

 

Leia smiled back at her and patted Rey’s hand bobbing on the surface of the water, “he’ll love you in whatever you’re wearing.”

 

That was probably the only appropriate response the situation would allow, so thank God Leia had thought of it. 

 

*** 

 

Rey stuck her key in the door and ushered herself into the quiet condo. The condo was dim and Ben was nowhere to be seen. All who was there was Kylo sitting on his bed, chewing away at a bone. Rey looked around to see if Kira was anywhere. 

 

“Hmmm, Ben must’ve taken her for a walk after dinner,” Rey said to a near empty room. 

 

She set her bags down on the island and picked up a small notecard sitting there. On the front was her name written in gorgeous calligraphy. She opened it to see a note inside in the same writing, ‘Come to the shop’ it read. 

 

Rey looked at the note, arching her eyebrow skeptically before setting it down. She grabbed her keys and headed back out.

 

As she walked to the shop, the nights were still quite cool. January had taken it easy on them so far this year, remaining slightly warmer than it had in the past, but still cool enough to need a jacket when walking around the city. Rey glanced at her phone as she approached the shop, oblivious of the soft glow coming from the window. Ben hadn’t texted her at all since he replied when she said she was headed home. Rey went to unlock the flower shop when she saw another note on the door handle, ‘Come on in’.

 

Rey opened the unlocked door of the shop and was surrounded by twinkling lights and petals spread on the ground leading to the coffee shop. Rey was awestruck as she followed the path and crossed the threshold to the coffee shop. The shop was aglow as the counter and tables were covered in candles that lit the shop in the dark night. As she took in the shop’s glowing ambiance, she noticed Kira sitting across from her at the end of the shop. 

 

Rey approached her canine companion and noticed a beautiful new leather collar wrapped around her neck, covered in fresh flowers minus a small gap. Rey bent down to see the metal plate better, reading the letters engraved to the collar. Her hands flew to her mouth as she read the engraving, ‘Will you marry me?’ 

 

Rey stood up abruptly and turned around, looking for the man who set this all up. She found Ben behind her down on one knee holding up a ring. 

 

“Rey, from the moment that I met you, I knew that you were  _ it _ . I had no intention of pursuing anyone else or spending my Sunday’s any other way as of that day. Will you marry me?

 

Rey took in the bright smile on his face, catching a touch of hesitation reflecting in his eyes.  _ ‘How could he doubt what she’d say? How could the strong and confident man before her be nervous? People do crazy things when they’re in love.’ _

 

“Yes!” She exclaimed excitedly as she fell into his arms before he slid the ring onto her finger. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, one that sealed their future and awakened so much hope in both of them that the room seemed to glow beyond the candles.

 

Ben picked her up, keeping his lips firmly placed on hers before separating long enough to whisper against her lips. 

 

“You can thank Rose and my mother for keeping you out of the shop today so I could set this up, as well as some very understandable customers.” 

 

She kissed him again, not the least bit concerned of how they pulled this off, but just wanting to be close to her fiance in the most intimate ways possible, starting by never separating from those plush pink lips. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think through comments or kudos!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to Ria for beta'ing this final chapter! This has been so much fun to write and everyone’s comments have been so sweet!

* * *

 

Ben left for Kaneohe Bay the week prior and Rey was not dealing with it well. Even though they had FaceTimed and texted and called each other nonstop, she still couldn’t shake her nerves of being separated from him. Kira gave her a little peace with her presence, since Kylo had gone with Ben the week before, but even Kira seemed to be moping about feeling lonely.

 

Rey sat next to Finn with Kira at her side, her knee bouncing sporadically.

 

“Okay Peanut, you gotta stop that,” Finn said grabbing her knee to settle it, “You’re making me nervous and I already don’t fly well.”

 

“Sorry,” Rey apologized as she began to fidget, “just a big day coming up, you know?”

 

“Well, yeah of course! I mean, you only get married to your soulmate once.” Finn said before shifting his attention to Rose sitting next to him looking at her phone.

 

‘ _Right, the wedding, that’s what I was thinking’_ Rey thought to herself. She placed a hand over the side of her purse just as they were called to board.

 

The flight wasn’t bad. Finn and Rose were surprised they took a helicopter instead of a plane to get there, but the experience was definitely worth it, giving them a much closer view of the Hawaiian islands as they made their descent onto the base.

 

“Talk about a grand entrance, I feel like a celebrity,” Rose said excitedly as she began to grab her bag.

 

Rey hopped out of the helicopter the second they landed safely and she saw Ben waiting on the tarmac. She rushed to him and leapt into his arms, expecting him to catch her with ease, which he did. Rey wasted no time keeping their lips separated any longer as she breathed him in and tasted his mouth for the first time in a week.

 

“I missed you so much,” she mumbled against his lips, barely breaking the kiss.

 

“Babe, we barely spent a week apart,” he chuckled as he set her down on her feet, still kissing her.

 

“Don’t care,” Rey said as she raised up on her toes, bringing Ben as close as she could. Kira dragged Finn over to Ben, excited to see her daddy too. Ben took her leash from Finn, allowing Finn to turn back to Rose and take in their surroundings.

 

“This place is unbelievable,” Finn muttered, grabbing Rose’s hand, “Maybe we should get married here.”

 

Rose smiled and turned to her boyfriend, “whoa there _big deal_ , first I need the rock then we can start looking at venues,” she gave him a quick peck on the lips before dragging him toward where they’d be staying.

 

Rey unpacked her overnight bag in the bedroom. Leia had decided that she would be bringing everything she needed for the big day with her in first class later in the day, versus shoving it in the tiny helicopter space. Rey grabbed the plastic bag out of her purse, white-knuckling the object nervously.

 

Rey took a deep breath in before heading out into the living area to Ben. He was watching a baseball game on tv with Kira resting her head on his foot. Kylo had followed Rey around like a shadow since she’d arrived.

 

As Rey sat down on the couch, she kissed Ben on the cheek and slid the object into his hand. Ben looked down at the object confused before his eyes met Rey’s with shock. Rey was on the verge of tears. She nervously looked down at the pregnancy test before looking back up to Ben.

 

“Are you serious?”

 

Rey nodded timidly before Ben embraced her in a massive bear hug, squeezing the air from her lungs as if she wasn’t _already_ breathless.

 

***

 

Rey woke up to hearing the waves crashing against the shore and the sun beaming in through the window, the morning rain having already burned off by 9am. Leia had ushered Rey out of Ben’s quarters shortly after dinner, saying it was the tradition for the bride and groom to spend the night before the wedding away from each other. Rey wasn’t too pleased about that considering she’d just spent a week away from Ben and just got him back in her arms the day before. Not to mention that fact that once she told him she was pregnant, he wouldn’t stop kissing her or staring at her with pride. He beamed at the idea that he ‘fucked a baby into her’. Plus, the second Rey called him daddy, he was a goner; who knew Rey getting pregnant would be such a turn on for her soon-to-be husband?

 

Rey got out of bed and walked out onto the balcony, grabbing the cup of coffee that Leia had made for her. She was definitely feeling the bridal treatment.

 

The balcony looked out to the ocean and over the area that they would be having the ceremony, people hard at working setting everything up. Rey breathed in the crisp Hawaiian air before taking a sip of her coffee. She couldn’t think of a better way to spend the Sunday morning of her wedding day.

 

Just as she was enjoying the idea, Rey’s phone pinged beside her. She checked to see who of the _many_ people she would be talking to today was contacting her. She smiled as she saw Ben’s name.

 

 

> I can’t wait to marry you. If I could see you I would, but I am not risking anything. I know you look stunning, you could be wearing a paper bag and I’d still think you’re the most adorable creature in the world. You’re the light in my life. And I can’t wait to start this life with you and our baby ❤ .

 

Rey simply responded:

 

 

> I love you so much, see you at the altar, I’ll be the one in white.

 

Rey’s eyes filled with tears, threatening to overflow when there was a knock at the door from within the quarters. Rose answered it and the room filled with squeals. Leia, Jess, and Connix surround the gorgeous bouquet of Hawaiian flowers. Rose grabbed the note and handed it to Rey to read aloud:

 

“Rey, the plumeria is a flower I grew fond of seeing during my time in Hawaii. Now I wish to share my love for them with you. This flower is us. It is beauty, birth, devotion, immortality, and love. See you at the altar, I’ll be the one in black.”

 

An echoing ‘aww’ filled the room as Rey smiled brightly at the sweet note from her man.

 

***

 

Ben stood at the altar next to Leia and his two friends from his time stationed on the base. General Armitage Hux and Captain Gwendoline Phasma were a stoic group, but their chill demeanors meshed well with Ben, earning him a couple of lifelong friends once he retired from the military.

 

A gentle music playing in the background picked up as the bridesmaids began to walk down the aisle; Jess, Rose, and Connix coming to stand next to Leia. The familiar sound of the wedding march began and the crowd rose to their feet.

 

Ben’s breath hitched in his chest as Rey appeared at the head of the aisle with Han. Her hair was tied up in a low bun, her makeup kept simple with a red lip. Ben noticed the way her dress hugged her body perfectly. The crystal beaded A-line was gorgeous on her as it was covered with three-dimensional flowers and lace applique.  Rey had gotten excited when she picked out the dress for two reasons, one: It had a scoop neckline with thin straps that benefitted her smaller chest, and two: _pockets._

 

General Hux spoke to the crowd, “Darkness rises, and light to meet it. You may be seated”

 

As the ceremony went on, and it was time to exchange their vows, Captain Phasma announced that they had chosen to write their own vows, gesturing to Rey to go first.

 

“Ben, you came into my life when something felt like it was missing. And you showed me that it was you the whole time. You fell into place as if you were always meant to be there, as if we’d danced this same dance in multiple other  lifetimes. You are my soulmate and I can’t wait to spend this life and the next with you.”

 

Ben wiped the stray tear running down Rey’s cheek, taking the moment to cup her gorgeous face in his large hand.

 

“Rey, Kylo was the one that found you, but I was the one that fell in love with you. I don’t understand how I got so lucky, and if you let me, I will work to answer that question for the rest of our lives. Because you are my sunshine, my shot of espresso, and the light in my eyes.”

 

“And now for the rings,” Hux announced, Ben and Rey both reached into the dog’s collars that were sitting beside them and grabbed the rings from a small pouch attached.

 

“Rey, do you take this man to be your husband?” Gwendoline asked Rey.

 

“I do,” she responded, her eyes set on Ben.

 

“Ben, do you take Rey to be your wife?” Hux asked Ben.

 

“I do,” He winked at Rey.

 

“Then by the power vested in me, by the state of Hawaii and the United States Marine Corps, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

 

“Ben, you may kiss your bride.”

 

Ben leaned down to capture Rey’s lips for their first kiss and husband and wife. Rey could feel Ben’s hands slip down her sides, one reaching behind her back to pull her closer, the other sliding over her taut stomach where there would soon be a baby bump forming.

 

_‘My girls...How did he get so lucky?’_

* * *

__

_rey's dress_

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are sweet, but comments are the sweetest! And thank you for reading at all!   
> Find me on tumblr! atchamberlin@tumblr :)


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